The present invention relates to braces used in a clinical setting for rehabilitation of flexion and extension contractures of the knee, ankle, and elbow after neurologic or orthopedic injury.
Braces of the prior art are typically designed for prevention of contractures or immobilization of joints. Conventional braces have metal side frames for positioning along opposite sides of a patient's limb, and a plurality of straps for securing the frames to the limb. The frames have articulated joints for permitting movement of associated limb joints of the patient. The joints can be lockable or equipped with biasing means for resisting movement.
A problem with existing braces is the difficulty in fitting them to varying shapes and sizes of the extremities because the straps are attached directly to the metal framework. This also increases the potential for the development of pressure sores where the frame is pulled into contact with soft tissues.
Another problem is that the braces are generally not suitable for treating existing contractures because they do not exert sufficient force to extend flexion contractures or to rehabilitate to a functional range of motion. Also, in leg braces that include foot support, there is no satisfactory control of inversion or eversion of the foot. Also, existing braces for ambulatory patients (walking braces) use the patient's shoe belted into the brace. Thus it is not practical to wear such braces either with or without a shoe.
Thus there is a need for a brace that not only will statically flex and immobilize and both statically and dynamically extend a user's limb, but will produce a variable dynamic force of a sufficient degree to extend a severe flexion contracture.